Early Years

The importance of early years programs to a child’s positive development has been recognised globally and in Australia. Access to maternal and child health services, kindergartens and other programs such as playgroups all play a role in a good start to a child’s life , and also enhance family participation in their community. In 2011, Foundation House undertook work with early years services in the City of Brimbank and the Chin community which highlighted the significant barriers that newly-arrived families face in accessing such services.

The goal of the subsequent Foundation House program is to explore the barriers and facilitators to inclusion, and to develop strategies to promote full inclusion of families. The Early Years program of work includes:

provision of resources, professional learning opportunities and consultancy

place-based collaborative projects to establish meaningful dialogue between community members and Early Years sector representatives

collaborative projects with local and state-wide Early Years providers.

For further details on the program, please contact, Katherine Cooney, Early Years Project Co-ordinator on 0438 211 785

The Victorian Foundation for Survivors of Torture (also known as Foundation House) is committed to child safety. We are committed to promoting and protecting the interests and safety of children and this is reflected in our organisational policies, protocols and staff development.